An exceptional use of color and direct brushwork combine in the artwork of WNC artist Keith Spencer. He has been described as “both an expressive painter and a true colorist” by William Kortlander, Professor of Art at Ohio State University. There is a boldness to his creativity and the works are full of life and energy. The result is a striking range of both figurative and landscape paintings that can be found in galleries and collections throughout the United States and Europe.

His landscapes are frequently done in the alla prima tradition (one sitting) and will often include the mountainous upstate, where he now lives, as well as the low country surrounding Charleston. Likewise, much of his figurative work is done directly from life, and ranges from abstract nudes to the painterly realism of his work from the Artist Ride in South Dakota. Having managed a cattle-horse farm, for the first twelve years of his career, Keith’s own horses are frequently found in his paintings. In 2008 Keith had a solo show at the Spartanburg Museum of Art called “True Colors”. He is included in the 2011 book by Edward Emory and Stephen Stinson called “Artists Among Us - 100 Faces of Art in Spartanburg”.

Articles about Keith and his work have been written in Bold Life Magazine, The Laurel of Asheville Magazine, Berry Magazine, Greenville News Arts section, Spartanburg Herald Arts section, Landrum News Leader and the Tryon Daily Bulletin. He has been in two television productions on the ETV art show called Impressions. He does an average of 3-4 exhibitions a year and donates work regularly to various Environmental and Humanity Groups. He is currently represented by six galleries in five states and has served on the Board of Directors for the Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC.

Artist’s Statement
"What makes something unique has always interested me. I think at some level, I am trying to reveal that uniqueness through painting. When I see something it's kind of like Love...it either happens or it doesn't."